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Westin taps social followers to promote healthy sleep

Author

Brielle Jaekel

Published

March 14, 2017
Marriott?s Westin Hotels & Resorts is tapping social media to promote a good night?s sleep and give its new Bedtime Call a head start, which brings Apple?s iPhone feature to hotel rooms in real life. 

Westin?s #SleepStrong campaign is bringing social media users in on a conversation regarding good sleeping habits through user generated content, hoping to help guests sleep better while on the road. The new program, Bedtime Call, will allow guests who opt in to get a reminder of then they should go to bed to get a full night of sleep, similar to Apple?s Bedtime feature on the iPhone. 

"Today's over-scheduled and always-on culture has spurred a counter-movement among those who see the value in getting a good night's sleep," said Brian Povinelli, senior vice president and global brand leader at Westin Hotels & Resorts. "Nearly 65% of people sleep fewer hours while on the road; so empowering travelers to sleep strong and rise better reinforces our commitment to guests' well-being and the growing understanding that sleep impacts everything from productivity to overall happiness."  

Sleeping strong
The hotel chain has partnered with World Sleep Society to make a bigger impact on those who are sleep deprived. The idea is to eradicate the idea that ?pulling an all nighter? is trendy. 

"One of the most frequently asked questions that our sleep specialists receive is: 'What is the perfect amount of sleep?'" said Dr. Clete Kushida, president of World Sleep Society, which hosts World Sleep Day each year. "The short answer is at least 7 hours in length, but a truly restorative sleep depends on duration as well as continuity and depth. 

?Understanding the impact of sleep on physical and mental health is more important than ever before, and we are thrilled to have partners like Westin Hotels & Resorts, who share our commitment and can amplify our mission to advance sleep health worldwide,? he said. 

Westin is encouraging users on social media to show a photo the represents their best rest with the hashtag #SleepStrong. 

To continue its focus on sleeping well, the hotel chain has been tapping national holidays that are related to sleep to propel its campaign on social media. For instance, on National Napping Day took place on March 13, and Westin celebrated with social media posts and photos saying, ?heavenly beds = heavenly naps? along with the hashtag #NationalNappingDay and #SleepStrong.

World Sleep Day takes place on Friday, March 17 and Westin will be sharing similar content all week leading up to the day. 

Bedtime call 
Westin is launching its Bedtime Call program, which guests can schedule so they can be reminded to get a full time sleep. Participants can schedule the call with the Westin Service Express team, who will suggest a time based on when the guest needs to wake up. 

The recommendations will be based on insight from World Sleep Society. 

A similar program has already been in place at Westin?s New York location. 

Guests can also order the Sleep Well Lavender Balm bedside amenity as well as order from the Sleep Well in-rooming dining menu. 

"We had seen a trend in wake-up call requests coming in at times that make it impossible for guests to be getting the sleep that they really need," said Sean Verney, general manager at The Westin New York at Times Square. "Our mission is to ensure that guests leave feeling better than when they arrived, even in 'the city that never sleeps'; and something as simple as a reminder call goes a long way."